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VMware Updates NFV Platform for 5G, Multi-Cloud Networks

VMware announced vCloud NFV-OpenStack Edition 3.0, with new network functions virtualization (NFV) features purpose-built for communications service providers (CSPs) running modern 5G and multi-cloud networks.

The company said its new approach was required by the coming advent of 5G, which it said "promises to improve efficiency, enhance security, reduce latency times, increase network capacity, and accelerate current data connections by 10, or even 100 times."

Multi-cloud networking -- in which CSPs can leverage different cloud services with point-and-connect ease to accommodate different workloads -- is another newer technology gaining traction in the telco industry. It facilitates modern heterogeneous networking environments that can include datacenters, public clouds, telco clouds and edge environments.

VMware touted improved network performance, intent-based networking functionality and better economics in its platform, combined with compliance with open standards such as OpenStack and Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) project.

"A highly performant and reliable NFV platform is key to unlocking the cloud efficiencies that NFV promised," the company quoted Caroline Chappell, research director and lead analyst for Analysys Mason's Software-Controlled Networking research program, as saying. "It's important that operators gain the benefits of a carrier-grade and scalable NFVI without sacrificing support for open industry standards and the ability to execute virtual network functions from multiple vendors. As operators begin to scale commercial NFV deployments, they will need robust platform features and the potential in future to run the same NFVI in multiple clouds."

VMware said its vCloud NFV 3.0 bundle will be generally available in the second quarter of fiscal year 2019, which ends Aug. 3, 2018.